Bottle washing machine



June 13, 1933. G. 1.. o'r'ro 1,913,947

BOTTLE WASHING MACHINE Filed April 12, 1930 4 Shets-Sheet l June 13,1933. G. 1.. OTTO BOTTLE WASHING MACHINE Filed April 12, 1930 4Sheets-Sheet 2 Jl me 13, 1933. L. OTTO I 1,913,947

BOTTLE WASHING MACHINE Filed April 12, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 G. L. OTTOBOTTLE WASHING MACHINE Filed April 12, 1930 June 13, 1933.

4 Sheets-Sheet -4 mnuni n &

Patented June 13, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT orrice GERALD L. OTTO, OFMENOMONEE FALLS, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR- TO STOUT MANUFAC- TUBING COMPANY,OF MENOMONEE FALLS, WISCONSIN BOTTLE WASHING MACHINE Application'filedApril 12,

This invention relates to improvements" in bottle washing machines.-

One of the objects of my invention is the provision of a bottle washingmachine which is-solconstructed that it'will thoroughly soak I thebottles in a suitable solution, will repeatedly dip the bottles andmaintain them in a submergedic-ondition with means for washing thebottles between each submerging operation, andthen thoroughly rinse thebottles with consecutive rinsing operations and' allow them to drybefore being removed from the machine.

Another object of the invention issthe pro- R vision of a bottle washingmachine including means actuatediin unison for feeding bottles into oneend of the-machine and discharging them from the other end of themachine onto a suitable conveyor which is arranged in close proximity toone end'of the machine for carryingthe clean bottles to the place ofuse.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a bottle washingmachine wherein the bottles are not only. submerged at intervals in asuitable solution of different temperatures, but are also washed withthis solution between each submerging'operation and at the end of thesubmerging operation, the bottles are completely filled with thesolution and conveyed to the rinsing compartment, the movement of thebottles through the machine being at a predeterminedispeed to allow thesolution to stand in the bottles a certain length of time and then thebottles are thoroughly rinsed with clean rinsing water at differenttemperatures wherein the bottles are thoroughly rinsed with cleanrinsingwater, and the rinsing water applied to the bottles graduallyincreases in heat and then decreases before the bottles are moved to thedrying chamber. With the above and other objects in view, the inventionconsists in the novel features of construction, the combination andarrange.- ment of parts hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out inthe claims and shown in the accompanying drawingswherein:

Figure 1 is longitudinal sectional View 5' through the main'portion ofthe machine 1930. Serial No. 443,787.

with the conveyor belts for the bottles being illustrateddiagrammatically;

Figure 1A is a continuation of Figure 1, showing the dischargeend of themachine;

Figure 2 is a detailed sectional view illustrating. the operatingmechanism for loading the bottles at one end and discharging the'bottlesat the other end; Figure 3is a detailed sectional view of a portionofthe loading pocket Figure 4 is a: detailed section on the line L-A ofFigure 1A;

Figure 5 is adetailed section of one of the upper rinsing members,particularly adapted for use in the cooling chamber; and,

Figure 6 is a plan view illustrating how the bottles can be removed fromthe discharge end whereby two rows of bottles may be applied-to theconveyor.

In Figures 1 and 1A, I have illustrated a longitudinal section throughthe entire bottle washing machine, showing the conveyor chain for thepockets diagrammatically only, it being understood that the constructionof this chain forms no part of'the presentinvention and, therefore, thespecific illustration is not a necessity in the case. The chain carriesa plurality of rows of pockets which extend transversely across themachine, said pockets being illustrated at 1, and are adapted to receivethe bottles therein in such manner that the bottles will fit snuglywithin the pockets and will be retained in proper position during thetime that they are passed through the entire machine.

The machine itself includes a plurality of uprights generally indicatedthroughout the views at 2, which support the main housing for themachine. Within the housing I' provide anumber'of tanks through whichthe conveyor chain, the pockets and the bottles carried thereby arepassed during the operation of washing and rinsing the bottles.

In describing the operation of the machine andthe process through whichthe bottles pass to be thoroughly washed and rinsed, the movement ofthe'bottles through the different solutions and through the rinsingoperation-will first be described and following that willbe given anillustration as to how the pockets containing the bottles are movedthrough the machine and the bottles simultaneously deposited in thepockets at one end of the machine and discharged therefrom at the otherend of the machine.

The empty pockets are conveyed along the bottom of the housing in asuitable chamber 3 and passing through this chamber, it will be notedthat the pockets 1 are in an upright position, but after passing aroundthe guide roll 1, and upwardly, the pockets are positioned in aninclined plane for receiving the bottles from the holder 5. This holderis pivotally mounted at 6 upon a supporting bracket 7 and adjusting rods8 are provided for adjusting the inclination of the holder 5 should theoccasion require. The holder 5 extends transversely across the front ofthe machine and the empty bottles are placed in this holder from the topand when each set of pockets reaches the position indicated at a, thebottles in the holder are moved from the holder into the set of pocketspositioned at a. In moving the bottles from the holder, it will be notedthat this is carried out by means of a tubular member 9 which can tendsthe full length of the holder and is connected at each end of a movablearm 10, which is reciprocated for urging the bottles from the holder.

After the bottles have been deposited within the holders, they are movedupwardly to an inverted position, as shown at b, where they arepre-rinsed before entering the solution, and it will be noted that asupply pipe 11 is so positioned that the jets of water therefrom willpass directly into the necks of the bottles. After the bottles have beenpre-rinsed they travel downwardly into a solution supply tank, generallyindicated at 12, and as they pass into the tank or at the positionillustrated at 0 they begin to fill with the solution in the tank andwill remain filled until they start to leave the solution in the tank,due to the fact that the bottles move downwardly and along the bottom ofthe tank and thence upwardly, as illustrated at the right in Figure 1.

At (Z the bottles begin to empty of the solution received therein fromtank 12. This tank 12 preferably contains a solution of 1% alkali and isheated to approximately F.

After the bottles have discharged the solution received from tank 12they pass upwardly and around an are above the supply pipe 13 which isprovided with a plurality of perforations, whereby the bottles directlyabove the supply pipe and on each side thereof, or at an angle to thelongitudinal center of the pipe, receive the jets. This solution whichis pumped into the supply pipe 13 and out through the perforationstherein, is preferably of a 5% alkali solution, and the temperature ispreferably F. After the bottles have received this interior wash ing ofthe alkali solution of 5%, they pass downwardly into the second alkalitank, generally indicated at 14, and the bottles in the pocketsindicated at e begin to fill with a solution in tank 1 1, and they areretained in their full state as they pass downwardly and along thebottom of the tank and 011 their upward movement, until they reach theposition of the pockets f, where they discharge their contents back intotank 1 1. This tank 1 1 contains a solution of 5% alkali at 130 F.

The bottles after passing through tank 14 and discharging the contentsof the'solution received therein from tank 14, pass upwardly above asupply pipe 13, which is similar to the pipe 13 and is perforated in alike manner so that the bottles as they pass around the are above pipe13 receive the jets of alkali water pumped from tank 141 to again treatthe bottles to an interior alkali wash.

After the bottles have been treated with a second alkali wash fromsupply 13, they again pass downwardly into a third tank, generallyindicated at 15, and when they reach the position indicated at 9, theybegin to fill with the solution in tank 15, which is also of a 5% alkalisolution heated to 130 F. The bottles pass downwardly after becomingfilled with the solution in tank 15 and pass along the bottom of thetank similar to the operation in tanks 12 and 1 1 and then pass upwardlyover a third are above the supply pipe where they are again treated toan alkali wash pumped from tank 1 1.

The bottles after being treated with the alkali wash from supply pipe18a pass downwardly into an additional tank indicated at 16 and as theymove downwardly into the '3 pass upwardly on an inclined plane, theyretain about two-thirds of the alkali solution I:

received from tank 16. The bottles pass upwardly from tank 16 into anelongated compartment 18 and at the point 70, where they enter thiscompartment 18 I provide a supply pipe 19, which discharges water intothe bottles, so that when they are passed into compartment 18, they areentirely filled with an alkali solution.

The compartment 18 extends from a point adjacent the rear of the machineto the front 3 of the machine and the pockets and the bottles containedtherein pass around a roller 20 which serves as a guide for the conveyorchain, the bottles discharging their contents as they reach the pointindicated at Z. The

The bottles in 77-75 conveyor carrying the pockets and the bottles, thenpasses throughan upper rinsing and drying compartment 21 whichextendsthe full length of the machine. At the forward end of the compartment21, I provide the lower parallel pipes 22 and the upper set of parallelpipes 23, the lower pipes being provided with a series of longitudinallyextending perforations for discharging jets of alkali water into thebottles to provide analkali rinse and the pipes 23 are provided with tworows of longitudinally extending perforations arranged upon oppositesides of the longitudinal sections of the pipes to provide divergingsprays for thoroughly rinsing the bottoms of the bottles with an alkaliwash. The solution discharged from the bottles at the position indicatedat Z and the Waste solution from this alkali rinsing operation dropsdownwardly into the bottom of compartme-nt 24, where it passes outthrough suitable openings 25 into a discharge compartment 26. Thisdischarge compartment 26 is connected by means of a conducting pipe 27to the tank 16. This conveys the solutions from the bottles back to tank16 where it was previously received.

WVithin the longitudinal compartment 21, I provide three separaterinsing tanks indicated at 28, 29 and 30.

It will be noted that directly above tank 28, I provide upper and lowerdischarge pipes 31 and 31. The lower pipe being provided with a singlerow of perforations to discharge rinsing water into the neck of thebottle to thoroughly rinse the inside thereof, while the pipe 31 isprovided with diverging perforations to provide diverging sprays for thebottom of the bottles. This first rinsing operation rinses the alkaliwater from the inside and outside of the bottles, as well as from thepockets and this rinse water with the alkali solution from the bottlesin the pockets may be conveyed in any suitable manner to the dischargeor waste pipe.

The bottles in the pockets indicated at m are treated to an inside andoutside rinsing from lower supply pipes 32 and upper supply pipes 32,the lower supply pipes 32 discharging a single spray into the neck ofthe bottles to rinse the inside thereof, while the discharge pipes 32discharge diverging sprays for thoroughly rinsing the bottles from thebottom. This rinsing water is preferably 120 F. The bottles in thepockets indicated at n are preferably rinsed by discharge sprays fromthe pipes 33 by a clear water rinse with the water at 180 F.

The waste rinse water from pipes 32, 32 and 33 will drop into tank 29and as the partition 34 between tanks 28 and 29 is comparatively low,this rinse water from 'tank will flow into tank 28 and pass on out intothe usual discharge waste pipe. The

T bottles in the pockets indicated ato are pref- Arranged above thesedischarge pipes 35 are the hoods 36 having an opening mouth portion 37at the bottoms, whereby the water received from the sprays in the pipes35 are passing around in the hoods 36 and then out through the mouth 37as clearly illustrated in Figure 5. The hot water for the rinsingoperation can be brought into the machine from any hot water line pipeleading from any desired type of hot water heater (not shown).

lVhile the bottles are being cooled, the water drains from the interiorthereof'and the bottles tend to dry on the inside and the bottles arefurther dried by natural evaporation while the bottles encircle a guideroller 38 and pass downwardly toward-the rear of the machine.

At this point, I wish to call attention'to the fact that the waste waterin tank30 will flow through a connecting pipe 39 which connects tank 30with tank 29 and this rinsing water-Will continue from tank 29to tank 28and out through the usual waste discharge pipe.

As the rows of pockets 1 continue clownwardly, they are moved to aninclined position asat s, where they discharge the bottles from thebottom of the pockets onto the discharge platform'40 and then movedownwardly on an inclined plane to the compartment 3, where they againpass forwardly to the front of the machine to become filled and in thedepressed portion ofthe upper wall 42 of each of these tanks, and thiswill have atendency to keep the solution in the tanks in a heatedcondition. The solution in the tank 16 is heated by means of a coil 43.Each of the tanks 12, 14, 15 and 16, are provided adjacent the bottomthereof with suitable outlets whereby the liquid solution within thetank may be easily drained 011.

For the purpose of cleaning the settled alkali from the bottom of thetanks, I provide manhole ports 45 in each one of the tanks whichcontains the alkali solution, and in order to provide means for gainingaccess to the tanks, I provide standard manholes 46 in, the upperportion of the tanks above the solution therein. T

In Figure 2 I have illustrated the major portion of the mechanism whichoperates the arms 10 for feeding the bottles from the holder 5 into thepockets 1 when they reach I the position shown at a, said mechanism alsoacting to provide movement to the conveyor chain and also to actuate theplatform for depositing the empty clean bottles from this platform ontothe movable conveyors 4:7. The entire mechanism may be driven from amotor 48, provided with a small pulley 49 around which the belt 50passes.

This belt 50 passes around a pulley 51 on shaft 52. Shaft 52 extendstransversely of the machine and the operating mechanism about to bedescribed is preferably dupli cated upon each side of the main housingfor the entire machine, and is preferably arranged within the housing.

For the purpose of describing the operation of the device, it is onlyessential that the mechanism at one side of the housing be described,together with its operation, and as this is clearly illustrated inFigure 2, it will sufiice to give a clear illustration of the completeoperation of the mechanism which operates the machine.

Paralleling shaft 52 is a second shaft 53, and mounted on shaft 53 is agear 54 meshing with pinion 55 on shaft 52. Shaft 53 also carries apinion 56 which meshes with the gears 57 and 58, carried by shafts 57and 58'.

Extending transversely of the machine in front of the main shaft 52 isan upper op erating shaft 59 and a lower operating shaft 60. Connectedto shaft 59 is an arm 61, the lower end of which is pivotally connectedto a pitman rod 62, which in turn is eccentrically connected to gear 57.Therefore, as gear 57 rotates, arm 61 will be rocked back and forth toimpart a similar movement to shaft 59. Extending upwardly from shaft 59is an arm 63 and pivotally connected to this arm 63 is an actuating rod6% having at its forward end a pivoted dog 65 which is adapted to engagethe chain links 66 during the reciprocating movement of rod 64 forimparting a forward movement to the conveyor chain. This rod 64 ispositioned directly beneath the upper rinsing compartment 21 adjacentthe rear end of the machine.

Secured to shaft 59 for rocking movement is a second arm 67 carrying atits outer end a guide block 68 in which is slidably mounted a rod 69.This rod 69 extends forwardly toward the front of the machine and ispivotally connected to arm 10, as indicated at 70.

As noted in Figure 1, each arm 10 is pivotally mounted on a suitablebracket 71 so that both arms on the sides of the machine will readilyswing upon their pivots to cause member 9 to force the bottles from theholder 5.

As noted in Figure 2, the rear end of rod 69 projects beyond block 68and has an adjusting nut 72 at the rear end and mounted upon rod 69between block 68 and nut 72 is a coil spring 73. From this construction,it

will be apparent that should the member 9 meet with any obstructionwithin the holder 5, arm 67 will urge block 68 along rod 69 against thetension of spring 73, whereby the arms 10 will not be swung upon theirpivots. However, the tension of spring 73 is usually sufficient to feedthe bottles from the holder 5.

Keyed to shaft -is a rocker arm 74, the lower end of whichvis connectedby means of rod 75 to pivoted dog which operates in the same manner aspivoted dog 65, in order to urge the conveyor forwardly in compartment3.

From this, it will be apparent that with the simultaneous operation ofrods 64 and 75, together with the simultaneous opera-- tion of dogs 65and 65, the conveyor will be urged through the entire machine. The upperend of rocker arm 74 has pivotally con nected thereto a pitman rod 62which in turn is eccentrically connected to gear 58, as shown in Figure2, and as gears 57 and 58 rotate simultaneously, arm 61 and arm 74 willbe simultaneously actuated.

Attached to shaft 60 is a rocker arm 76 carrying at its outer end ablock 77 having an opening therethrough to receive the rod 78. Atopposite sides of block 77, rod 78 is pro vided with stop collars 79 and79. The rear end of rod 78 is connected to a rocker arm 80, pivotallyconnected at 81 to suporting arm 82 for platform 40, it being understoodthat an arm 82 is arranged at each side of the machine and the platform4-0 supported by these arms. In the posi ion shown in Figure 2, it willbe noted that the rocker arm 76 has been moved rearwardly to actuate theplatform 40 and raises the same to receive the bottles from the pocketsin the position indicated at .9, and as the bottles drop into theplatform 40, when in its raised position, they will be in an inclinedposition, and, it is, therefore, essential that a guard 83 be providedto retain the bottles on the platform.

As the rocker arm 76 moves forwardly through the rotation of gear 58,block 77 will have a tendency to slide on the rod and engage the collar79 rocking the platform 40 due to its pivotal connection with red 78 ldownwardly to a substantially horizontal position, and on a plane withthe conveyors 47.

Connected to shaft 60 is a rocker arm 8d carrying a block 85 similar toblock 7 7 and it slidably receives the inner end of rod 86. The rod 86carries a stop collar 87 adapted to be engaged by block 85 as arm 84 isrocked toward the rear of the machine, this movement urges rod 86rearwardly and due to its connection with arm 88 mounted on shaft 89,

this shaft 89 will be rotated. The shaft 89 is mounted in a suitablebearing on bracket 90 which supports the conveyor chain.

The bottles after being deposited upon platform 40 are to be urged fromthis platform onto the conveyors 47 and in order to carry this out, Iprovide a reciprocating platform 91, which supports in offset relationthe angle bars 92 and 92, with one angle of each bar being disposed in avertical position as at Figure 2, for engaging the bottles adjacent thebottom thereof.

The platform 91 is movable supported by the arms 98 and 94, arm 93 beingpivotally mounted at 95 upon one of the supporting standards 2 for themachine, while arm 94; is connected to shaft 89 and moves therewith.From this, it will be apparent that due to the relative positions ofrocker arms 76 and 84, arm 84; will actuate the angle push members 9:2and 92, after the platform 40'has reached a horizontal position aligningwith the conveyors 17 By having the angle push members 92 and 92arranged in offset relation, as shown at Figure 6, two rows of bottlesmay be placed upon the two conveyor members 47, as it is moved alongacross the rear of the machine. However, only one of the push membersmay be positioned at the outer end of bar 91 for use in removing thebottles from the platform if the occasion should require.

It will be noted that when rocker arm 84 moves rearwardly, rod 86 willbe actuated rearwardly, rotating shaft 89 for urging arm 94 toward avertical position, and this'will move the platform 91 toward theconveyors,

moving the bottles from the platform 40 7 onto the conveyors.

Connected to shaft 89 is a weight arm 97 which is raise-d when arm 84:moves rearwardly, but as soon as arm 84 begins to move forwardly, thisweight 97 will have a tendency to rotate shaft 89 and cause stop collar87 to retain its position in contact with block 85, thus returning arms93 and 94 and platform 91 to its normal inoperative position, as shownin Figure 2.

From the above description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, it will be readily apparent that I have provided a bottlewashing machine wherein the bottles can be readily deposited withinthemovable pockets when in a predetermined position at the forward endof the machine, and will be passed through a series of submerging andwashing operations in alkali solutions at different temperatures andthen be subjected to a rinsing operation where the temperature of therinsing water varies from a comparatively low degree to a higher degree,and thence graduated downwardly to cold water and then dried anddeposited upon the platform 10 where, through the simultaneous movementof pitmen 62 and 62, the dry, clean bottles are moved from platform 40simultaneously with the movement of the dirty bottles from the holder 5to a new set of pockets.

I claim:

1. In a bottle washing machine, an endless conveyor including upper andlower arms, means for imparting a step-by-step movement to said conveyorincluding upper and lower rock shafts, oppositely projecting armscarried by each of said shafts, pitman rods pivotally connected tocertain of said arms, rotary gears, means for eccentrically connectingthe other ends of the pitman rods to the gears, means for imparting arotative movement to saidgears, and means connected with the other ofsaid arms for engaging the upper and lower runs respectively of theendless conveyor for urging the runs of the conveyor in the samedirection.

2. In a bottle washing machine, a housing, an endless conveyor mountedfor movement in the housing, a plurality of spaced bottle carriers onthe conveyor and means for feeding bottles to the conveyor including aplatform arranged in front of the conveyor, links rockably mounted abovethe platform, means for rocking said links, means carried by the linksfor movement over the platform for urging bottles thereon into adjacentbottle carriers, means rockably .supporting the platform, and means foradjusting the angle of the platform relative to the bottle carrier.

In testimony thatI claim the foregoing I' have hereunto set my hand atMenomonee Falls, in the county of Waukesha and State of Wisconsin.

GERALD L. OTTO.

